Hunting in France

Capreolus capreolus

The attractive roe deer is widespread across woodland, farmland, grassland and heathland habitats.

To identify it look for its distinctive pale rump and short antlers. What you are looking for is a slender, medium-sized deer, the roe deer has short antlers and no tail. It is mostly brown in color, turning reddish in the summer and darker grey in the winter. It has a pale buff patch around its rump. The males have relatively short antlers, typically with three points.

The roe deer tends to be solitary in summer, but forms small, loose groups in winter. By summer, they are ready for the rutting season. After mating, they shed their antlers in October and begin to grow a new set. They eat buds and leaves from trees and shrubs, as well as grasses and heathers.

Roe deers are the traditional venison in European recipes, having a strong taste often counterbalanced by juniper berries and wine marinades.

Cervus elaphus

Standing proud and tall the red deer is Europe’s largest deer. Males have large, branching antlers, increasing in size as they get older. The red deer has dark russet-brown fur, with a paler buff rump patch and a pale tail. Look out for herds of large, sturdy deer with branching antlers.

During the autumnal breeding season, known as the 'rut, males bellow to proclaim their territory and will fight over the females, sometimes injuring each other with their sharp antlers.

A single calf is usually born the following spring. Red deer live on moorland and mountainsides, as well as grasslands near to woodland. Red deer mainly eat grasses, sedges, rushes and dwarf shrubs.

Dama dama

The fallow deer is an elegant, medium-sized deer, with a typically spotted coat. Males have broad, palmate antlers. To find them look out for groups of white-spotted deer in woodland glades.

They are variable in color, but is mostly pale gingery-brown, with white spots on the back, a characteristic black and white tail and a white rump patch outlined in black. Some animals are darker brown without any spots, and others are very pale, almost white.

During the autumnal breeding season, known as the 'rut', males make a loud belly belch to proclaim their territory and fight over the females.The resulting fawns are born the following summer.

Fallow deer prefer deciduous or mixed woodland with large clearings, typically living in small herds. They eat grasses and herbs, and will browse young, broad leaf trees.

Rupicapra rupicapra

The chamois is one of the most iconic wildlife species of the Alps and it is quite easy to recognize them. Their short black horns have a very characteristic shape: they are curved backwards. Males, as well as females, have these unique horns. Another distinctive characteristic is the markings on their head. A chamois has a white colored face with two pronounced black strips running from the eyes towards the nose and a white line running down the center of the chamois’ face.

The meat from adult chamois needs to be well marinated before they are cooked and so the most popular dish prepared for a mature chamois is a civet, a stew.

Rupicapra pyrenaica

The Pyrenean chamois is a goat-like creature native to the mountain ranges of the Pyrenees, northwestern Spain.

The chamois is chestnut brown to black in winter and pale brown in summer. In winter, the Pyrenean chamois has two large whitish shoulder patches and a large pale rump patch; it is reddish brown in summer. A thick underfur develops in cold weather. Chamois live in small herds.

It's natural habitat is the high alpine meadows during the warmer part of the year, venturing down onto the slopes when the weather gets colder. They only very rarely will enter the forest.

Ovis aries musimon

The European Mouflon is the westernmost and smallest sub-species of Mouflon. It was originally found only on the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia, but has since been introduced into many other regions of Europe.

It is the middle sized animal of the sheep family. The general color is dark brown on the back and along the flanks. A black band is bordering the undersides that are pure white. Older rams have got a "saddle" of white starting on the middle of the back and spreading down the sides. The horns are very different from region to region.

Mature male horns are curled almost on full revolution. In some areas however, the horns curve outwards and start twisting anew. There are also groups of individuals where the horns curve inwards, sometimes so much as to grow into the neck of the animal and thereby killing it. Only the rams have horns.

Sus scrofa

The wild boar is a large animal with a very compact body and rather short legs. The general colour is dark brown with some grey hairs in older individuals. With bristles along the back and the flanks.

Their preferred habitat is woodland with dense undergrowth, often in the vicinity of pasture land.

Wild boar meat has a strong, nutty, rich flavor that is unique. The meat is not gamey tasting, it's meat is darker in color with a distinct, with a flavorful taste.